Wall box



April 13, 1954 c. T. POMMERENING 2,675,140

WALL BOX Filed Jan. 7, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet l .LVI

33* @w man?? April 13, 1954 c. T. POMMERENING l 2,675,140

WALL Box Filed Jan. 7, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 f C /a ren ce l pommerem'ng.V

Z Pf-f@ @W Patented Apr. 13, 1954 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE WALL BOXClarence T. Pommerening, Long Prairie, Minn.

Application January 7, 1949, Serial No. 69,710

(Cl. B20-2.6)

11 Claims. 1

My invention relates to an improvement in wall box of a type used forsupporting an electrical switch, socket, plug, receptacle or the like.

Wall boxes are usually inserted through an aperture in the Wall and areanchored to the material forming the wall base. For example if the wallis a plastered wall the boxes are usually secured to the lathe orplaster support while the face plate covering the hole overlies thesurface of the plaster about the hole. As a result a gap is providedbetween the edge of the wall box and the face plate, which isobjectionable from a re hazard standpoint and also objectionable in thatthe hole for the wall box in the plaster must usually be somewhat largerthan the hole through the backing member on which the plaster issupported.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a wall box whichmay be inserted through an aperture of uniform size extending throughboth the plaster and the backing material and which may be mounted inplace without the necessity of anchoring the wall box flanges to thebacking behind the plaster. Some difficulty is experienced in insertingscrews into the plaster backing so that they will remain securely inplace. My wall box' does not require the use of anchoring screws andbolts extending into the wall and therefore greatly simplifies the taskof mounting the wall box.

A feature of the present invention lies in the provision of a wall boxcomprising a receptacle of any suitable shape having a flange extendingpartially or entirely about the open front side thereof. This receptacleis provided with one or more pairs of aligned slots therein at a pointspaced from the peripheral flanges. These aligned slots are designed toaccommodate clampingv bars or rods which extend above and below thereceptacle on the rear side of the w-all. Clamping means are provided todraw these clamping bars against the rear surface oi the wall, thusholding the wall box from disengagement with the wall.

A feature of the present invention lies in the provision of a terminalbox having at least one pair of aligned slots therethrough and having aclamping bar which extends through the slots :for engagement with therear surface of the wall opposite the surface engaged by the peripheralflange of the wall box. The clamping rod is inserted in place after theWall box has been inserted through an opening in the wall and the endsof the rod are arranged to engage the concealed surface of the Wall onopposite sides of the wall opening for the wall box. Clamping means areprovided for drawing the clamping bar against the concealed wall surfaceso as to clamp the Wall between the clamping bar and the Wall boxiiange.

A feature of the present invention lies in the provision of a wall boxhaving a pair of clamping members provided with means for drawing theclamping members toward the peripheral iiange of the wall box. When thewall box is in place a clamping bar is inserted through the wall box tobridge the wall box opening and the clamping means engage the bar anddraw the same against the concealed wall surface.

An added feature of the present invention lies in the fact that inpreferred form my wall box includes a clamping element movable alongopposite sides of the Wall box toward or away from the peripheral angeof the wall box and in providing one or more clamping bolts for movingthis clamping element. One or more clamping bars extend through oppositesides of the wall box and bridge the opening in which the wall box isinserted by tightening the clamping bolts. r`Ehe clamping elements aremoved against opposite ends of the clamping bar or bars to draw the sameagainst the concealed wall surface.

These and other objects and novel :features of my invention will be moreclearly and fully set forth in the following specification and claims.

In the drawings forming a part of my specification:

Figure l is a perspective view of a wall box showing my newconstruction.

Figure 2 is a sectional view through the wall box showing theconstruction thereof.

Figure 3 is atop plan view of a modied :form of wail box construction.

Figure l is a rear elevational View of the wall box illustrated inFigure 3.

Figure 5 is a cross sectional view vertically through a modiiied form ofwall box.

Figure 6 is a sectional View of the wall box structure illustrated inFigure 5, the position of the section being indicated by the line @M5 ofFigure 5.

Figure is a sectional View through a detail portion of the constructionshown in Figures 5 and 6.v

Figure 8 is a vertical sectional view lthrough a modied form ofconstruction of the device shown in Figure 5.

Figure 9 is a sectional View through the wall box illustrated in Figure8, the position of the section being indicated by the line 9 9 of Figure8.

Figure 10 is a sectional view through a detail portion of the wallboxillustrated in Figures 8 and 9 of the drawings.

The wall boxl A illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings may be ofany suitable outline shape. As illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 the wallbox includes a bottom panel I6 which is connected by an upwardly andrearwardly inclined panel II to a rear wall panel I2. rIhe panel I2 isconnected by an upwardly and forwardly inclined panel I3 to a top panelI4. Coplanar flanges I5 and I6 are provided on the bottom panel I and Ytop panel I4 respectively. The wall box A includes a pair of spaced sidewall panels I'I and I9 marginally connecting the various panelspreviously described. The side walls il and i9 are provided withcoplanar flanges 29 and 2i which abut against lateral extensions on theflanges E5 and I5 so as to provide a peripheral flange entirelyencircling the open front end of the box. The box is thus described asthough it were formed of three separate pieces welded or rotherwiseconnected together. Howevenlthe specic manner in which the walls areconnected together is not important in the present invention as this ismerely a matter of choice.

The bottom panel itis provided with two parallel spaced slots 22 and 23arranged just inwardly of the Yside walls Il and I9. The top panel I4 isprovided with a similar pair of spaced slots 24 and 25 which extendthrough the top panel just inwardly of the side walls II and IS andaligned with the slots 22 and 23 respectively.

A bar 25 or other similar element is designed to slide along theundersurface of the bottom panel I toward or away from the flange i5. Apair of spaced parallel bolts or screws 2l and 29 extend through theilange i5 and through the clamping bar 26. The bolts or screws 2l and 29are preferably of the at head type and the heads are countersunk intothe flange i5 so as to be substantially ilush with the outer surfacethereof. The heads of the bolts or screws 2l and 29 rotate freely in theflange I5 but are threaded into the clamping bar 26 so that rotation ofthese bolts moves the clamping bar 26 toward or away from the flange I5.

n A similar clamping structure is provided at the upper end of the wallbox. A clamping bar 33 is slidable along the upper surface yof the toppanel i4 toward or away from the flange i6. vA pair of parallel bolts orscrews 3I and 32 extend through the ange i6 and are threaded into theclamping bar 30. The heads ofthe bolts 3l and 32 are preferably flat andare recessed into the flange I6 to be substantially flush therewith.Rotation of the clamping screws 3l and 32 moves the bar 33 toward oraway from the flange I6.

A pair of clamping bars 33 and 34 are designed to hold the wall box A inplace. These clamping bars extend through the aligned slots in theopposed panels IG and It and bridge the opening in the wall in which thewall box is inserted. The clamping bars 33 and 34 are drawn against therear or concealed side of the wail by means of the clamping bars 26 and33.

The manner in which the wall box A is mounted in the wall is believedclearly understandable from the foregoing description, An opening is outin the wall which is of proper size to admit the wall box body and theclamping bars 26 and 30 located outwardly thereof. The wall openingextends bothV through the plaster covering 36 and the plaster backing 3!on which the plaster has been applied. Obviously the opening 35 may bein a solid wall of wood or any other material where such walls areemployed.

When the opening 35 has been formed the wall box A is insertedtherethrough before the clamping strips 33 and 34 are inserted throughthe various bars or slots. When the wall box A is in place the strips 33and 35i are put into place the upper end of each strip being insertedthrough its respective slot 24 or 25 and the strip or bar being inserteda distance sufficient so that the lower end of the strip may be movedinto the box. The lower end of each strip is then inserted through itsrespective slot 22 or 23 and allowed to drop a distance suiicient tocause the clamping strip 'or bar to bridge the opening 35 and to extenda substantial distance above and below the same. For convenience inholding the bars 33 and 34 in place I provide an inwardly bulged portion39 on each strip which forms a shoulder engageable with the bottom panelI il when the clamping bars are approximately centered with respect tothe body of the wall box.

In order to clamp the wall box place it is.-

then only necessary to rotate the `clamping bolts or screws 3l and 32 atthe top of the wall box and the clamping bolts or screws 21 and 29 atthe lower end of the wall box until the clamp-ing bars 26 and 30 engageagainst the rear edges of the clamping bars 33 and 34 to` pull the barsagainst 35 the clamping bars 26 and 39 are positionedz rearwardly of theends of the various slots 22, 23, 24, and 25.

in Figures 3 and d 'of the drawings I disclose-` a wall box B` which isvirtually identical with the wall box A except for the fact that onlyone clamping bolt or screw is employed on each end, of the wall box inplace of two. The bottom wall:

46, the rearwardly and upwardly inclined wall 4I, the rear wall 32, theforwardly andupwardly inclined wall 43, and the top` wall or panel 44correspond with the wall panels Iii, II, I2, I3, and illof the wall boxA. The side wall panels t5 and 46 are similar to the side wall panelsIIAA ,and IS with the exception of the fact that these side wallsusually project slightly above the bottom and top panels lill and 45. Itwill be noted that the side wall panel 45 is provided with projectingends Iii' and 49 which extend below and above the bottom and top panels49 and` itil. The

I wall panel 46 is similarly provided with projecting ends 59 and 5Iwhich extend below and above the bottom and top panels 49 and 44. Theseprojecting side wall ends act as` a guidefor the, l,clamping bars 52 and53 which vcorrespond to the clamping bars 26 and 30.

The clamping bar 52 slides beneath the bottom panel 43 between theflanges il and 5i) and is moved toward or away from the. lower flange54y by a clamping bolt or'screw 55. This clamping 1colt or screw 55 isoff-set slightlyfrom the centerY of the clamping bar so that thethreadedopen-A ing 56 in the flange 5d ordinarily used for attach j ing a switchor other electrical device in the wall" box may be centrally mounted.The clamping' bar 5l is slidablealong the top panel ill between' theflanges l5 and 49 and is moved toward orY away from the top ange 59 by aclamping screw or bolt Si).

wall box.

anverso The .top and bottom .panels rt land '1M 4a-re'provided withparallel aligned slots .62 and 153 for accommodation of theclampingstrips .Ell and 65. The clamping strips del and 65 are identicalto the clamping strips 33 andSil previously `described and 4operate in asimilar manner. This construction is thus virtually identical with theconstruction previously described with the exception yof the fact thatthe clamping bars are moved toward or :away `from .the inner wallsurface by means of a single screw or bolt in place or" two spacedclam-pingscrews or bolts.

It will be seen that my wall `box may be easily mounted in a wallopening and may be anchored to Athe :marginal edges of the wallencircling .the opening by the clamping strips. Thus `the ranchoring ofthe wall box is not 4dependent upon the use of screws or bolts extendinginto the body of the wall. Furthermore, my wall box extends to thesurface of the and thereby supports a switch or other electrical elementenclosed in a metal housing and no part of the encircling wall isexposed to the interior of the wall box. Thus much of the danger of lireis eliminated with my construction and a tighter and `neater enclosurefor the electrical connections is produced.

In Figures 5, 6, and 7 of the drawings I disclose a wall box C which issimilar in most respects to the wall `boxes A and B previouslydescribed. The wall box C comprises a pair of parallel side walls ,ttland 157 connected by a rear wall 69. The rear wall Se is connected byangularly extending wall. portions lli and 'il to a top wall l2 and abottom wall i3. A rectangularly shaped peripheral ange Till encirclesthe open front end of the wall box and is designed to lie dat againstthe outer surface of a wall l5. The top panel 'i2 and the bottom panel'i3 are provided with slots l5 and 'E6 therein similar to the slots `22,2t, 255, and 25 `previously described. A pair of clamping bars 'il and'1.9 are designed to extend through the slots 'l5 and 'it so that Atheupper end S thereof lies inwardly of the outer surface of the wall labove the wall box aperture 8| therein, while the lower end 8E of eachclamping bar lies inwardly of the inner surface of the wall 'l5 belowthe wall box aperture 8l. The bars ll and 'i9 are threaded through `theslots 'I5 and 'i6 in the manner previously described and a `projectionS3 on each of the clamping bars prevents the clamping bar from droppingthrough the bottom slot lil.

Each of the arms 'll and 'i9 'is provided with a rearward extensionindicated by the numerals S4 and S5. These extensions extend toward therear panel *39 of the wall box and terminate in right angularlyextending flanges 236 and 8l which lie substantially parallel to therear panel E@ of the wall box.

The rear wall Eil is provided with threaded apertures for accommodatingadjusting screws or vbolts $39'. These ladiusting screws 89 are pr videdAwith a reduced Adiameter forward end Sil which provides a shoulder dinear the forward end. The reduced diameter end gli extends through anaperture such as 't2 in either the flange SS or the flange di. Thereduced diameter end eil is provided with a screw driver slot 's3 bymeans of which the adjusting screw dt may be rotated to `force theshoulder di against the flange 85 or 8l.

it will be seen that the adjusting screws 3S and 9B `may be threadedinto the rear wall G9 of the wall box so that only the reduced Vdiameterend B0 Iprojects forwardly :from this wall. The clampingrbars .ll andlmay be ,insertedinnplace when the wall box yC is vin place in its wallaperture 8l. The clamping bars 117 and 'i9 maybe inserted yin place whenthe wall box C is in place in its wall aperture 8|. The clamping bars"Il and 'i9 maybe 'moved rearwardly until the apertures 92 in theiianges Bil and 8l encircle the reduced diameter screw ends 9U. Byrotating the screws 89 by means of a screw driver or similar instrumentthe screws may be drawn forwardly, the `shoulders 9| engaging againstthe flanges B6 and tl to urge the clamping bars 'Il and I@ against theinner surface of the wall `above and below the kaperture Bi, `thusfirmly clamping the wall box C in place.

A modification of this construction is illustrated in Figures 8, 9, and'lll of the drawings. This `construction is designated by the `letter Dand includes a wall box body having substantially :parallel side wallslill and 95 and a rear panel 9B connecting the same. The rear panel 96`is `connected by diagonally extending panels 9T and 9S to the `toppanels itil and itil respectively. A marginal flange M52 extends aboutthe periphery of the open front end of the wall box to ,lie .iiushagainst the outer surface of the wall i533, the box being positioned .inthe wall lapel'- ture itil.

Slots H35 and Idd similar to the slots previously described are providedin the upper and lower panels itil and itl, respectively, Clamping barslill and it@ are providedior holding the wall box in place. The clampingoars ll and |69 are virtually identical to the previously describedclamping bars ll and lil and are formed in a similar manner ,formounting in the wall `box in a similar manner.

The clamping bars lill and ille are provided with rearwardly `extendingarms or `projections lill and Ill which terminate'in right angularlyextending anges H2 and H3 which are `substantially parallel to the rearpanels 96. I.Substantially I shaped ears l lfliand l it are punched fromthe side walls Si and 95 Aand are bent inwardly to extend at rightangles to the `side walls and parallel to the rear wall d6. These earsare shaped to extend inwardly from their respective side walls and tothen extend upwardly to provide a groove or notch H6 between theupwardly extending end ll of each Vear and its respective side wall. Theupwardly extending ends l il oi the ears I i5 are notched as indicatedat I i9, the notch preferably communicating with the upper end of theear.

Bolts `20 are designed to extend through each notch H9 and to extendthrough a threaded aperture in the corresponding flange H2 or H3. Byrotating the bolts E2G in the proper `direction the `flanges H2 and lltmay be drawn toward the ears I l5, thereby urging the upwardly anddownwardly projecting ends of the clamping bars mi and lill! aga-instthe inner surface of the wall to hold the wall box xed.

In accordance with the patent statutes, I have described the principlesof construction and `operation `of my wall box and while vhaveendeavored to set forth the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have itunderstood that obvious changes may be made `within the scope of thefollowing claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

'1. A wall receptacle comprising a hollow cnclosure designed to t in anaperture in a wall and having ila-nge means arranged to Voverlie aportion of the exterior surface of the wall, a rigid clamping barextending through opposite sides of said .receptacle and to bridge theaperture inwardly of the wall, and threaded means for drawing saidclamping bar against the inner wall surface.

2. A wall box including a hollow receptacle designed to extend throughan aperture in a wall and having flange means designed to overlie aportion of the exterior surface of the wall, a pair of rigid spacedclamping bars extending across said receptacle and through oppositesides thereof, said bars designed to bridge the aperture in the wall,and threaded means for drawing said bars against the inner wall surface.

3. A wall box comprising a hollow enclosure designed for insertionthrough the wall aperture and including means designed to engage aportion of the exterior wall surface, said enclosure having two pairs ofaligned slots in opposite walls thereof, clamping bars designed foraccommodation in said slots and designed to bridge the wall aperture,and means for drawing said clamping bars against the inner wall surface,said means including a pair of clamping members movably supported bysaid receptacle for movement toward and away from said means designed tooverlie portions of the outer wall surface, and means connecting saidreceptacle and said clamping members for moving said clamping membersagainst said clamping bars.

4. The structure described in'claim 3 in which the last named connectingmeans comprises a threaded bolt.

5. The structure described in claim 3 in which the last named connectingmeans comprises a pair of spaced threaded bolts.

6. A wall box designed for mounting in a wall aperture, the boxincludinga hollow enclosure arranged to extend through the wall aperture, meanson said enclosure arranged to hold the enclosure from inward movement, arigid clamping member extending through said enclosure and engageablewith portions of the inner wall surface on opposite sides of theenclosure and extending into spaced parallel relation to the rear wallof the enclosure, and means for forcing said clamping member' away fromthe rear end of the enclosure to clamp the clamping member against therear surface of the wall.

7. A wall box designed for insertion through a wall aperture andincluding a hollow enclosure having an open front side, clamping memberextending through said enclosure and engageable against the innersurface of the wall on opposite sides of the aperture, means on saidenclosure engageable with the outer surface of the wall, an arm on saidclamping member having an angularly extending end extendingsubstantially parallel to the side of the enclosure opposite the frontopen side, and a threaded member between said angularly extending armend and said opposite side of said enclosure to urge said arm away fromsaid opposite side and to urge the clamping member against =the innerwall surface.

8. The structure described in claim 7 and including two similar clampingmembers extending through said enclosure in spaced substantiallyparallel relation.

9. A wall box for use in an aperture in a wall including an enclosurehaving an opening in one side thereof, said enclosure being adapted forreception in said wall aperture, means for limiting the inward movementof said enclosure into said aperture, and means for holding said wallbox from reverse movement out of said aperture, said means including aclamping member extending through said enclosure and engageable withsaid wall, an arm on said clamping member having an angularly extendingextremity, means projecting inwardly from a wall of said receptacle intosubstantially parallel relation to said angularly extending extremity,said projecting means being partially spaced rom the wall from which itprojects to provide a slot between the projecting means and the wallthrough which said arm extends, and means for drawing said oiT-set armextremity toward said inwardly projecting means to move said clampingmember toward said one side of said hollow enclosure.

10. A wall box including a hollow receptacle designed to extend throughan aperture in a wall and having flange means designed to overlie aportion of the exterior surface of the wall, a pair of spaced clampingbarsl extending across said receptacle and through opposite sidesthereof, a clamping bar extending transversely of the rst named clampingbars, and means for drawing said last named clamping bar against the rstnamed clamping bars. Y

l1. A wall receptacle comprising a hollow enclosure designed to fit inan aperture in a wall and having iange means arranged to overlie aportion of the exterior surface of the wall, the receptacle havingvertically aligned slots in opposite sides thereof, a rigid clamping baradapted to extend through said slots and to bridge the aperture inwardlyof the wall, means projecting from one side of said bar at a situsspaced from one end thereof to permit insertion of the ends of said barinto said slots from within said receptacle and to thereafter affordsupport for said bar, and means for drawing said clamping bar againstthe inner wall surface.

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